Took a night tour of Alcatraz tonight. It began with a rather chilly ferry ride to the island. The water was choppy and the winds high and I was wishing I had packed gloves and a scarf for this trip. The island is rather forbidding looking when approached and it is easy to believe that "no one escapes from Alcatraz." After disembarking we are led up to the main cell house. It is a one quarter mile walk and the equivalent of a thirteen story climb. No surprise that my legs ache and I'm winded.
Once in the main prison, we are issued headsets for a guided audio tour. The narration tells you where to walk, which way to turn next, what to look at and recounts Alcatraz's history complete with sound effects and the reminiscences of guards and prisoners. I see the shower room, the library, the dining hall, several cell blocks, isolation cells, solitary confinement cells, cells that were broken out of during the great escape, the administration wing, the warden's office, the visitation area and holes in the floor from military mortar fired during a hostage taking episode that left a number of guards and prisoners dead. I step into a regular cell and into a dark solitary confinement cell. The whole place has a spooky feel. Stories are retold about daily life as well as uprisings, infamous prisoners and escape attempts. One can hear cell doors slam and lock, sirens going off and prisoners yelling during this forty-five minute tour. It makes me want to learn more about the history of this forbidding place.
As most tours do, this one ends at the gift/souvenir shop, where I decide I must have the Alcatraz salt and pepper shakers! Then a quarter mile hike back down to the docks, a ferry ride across the bay and a return to a comfortable hotel room.
Definitely a tour worth taking.
